Time To Waste
by Ashisinthecloset
Summary: A shitty crossover of Band of Brothers and Supernatural. Dick Winters, the ginger angel and his human boyfriend Lewis Nixon are two hunters trying to help make the world a better place. Rachel is the orphaned nephilim that tags along and becomes their child, watch as this family saves people and hunt things and learn the truth.
1. Chapter 1- Bite Me

Lew was hurled through the window of an abandoned warehouse, he coughed as he tried to regain his balance. The man's vision was blurry but he knew what was standing before him, the scent of decaying flesh stung his nose. The ghoul smirked at him as it twirled its knife in its fingers, "Any last words, hunter?" it hissed while it advanced slowly, Lewis spat at the creature and scoffed before he took a swig of whiskey from his flask.

"Yeah," the man snarked, "_Bite me._" and with that he charged with his flask raised in hopes to bash in the head of the damned thing, the ghoul charged at him as well and dodged his attack. Slicing the man's shoulder and kicking him in the stomach sending him flying back to the dirt. Lew coughed up a string of blood and braced himself for death as the ghoul rushed at him one last time, he tightly shut his eyes and waited for the pain only to be met with the sound of squishing flesh. Lew opened his eyes slowly and saw a a blonde teenager wielding a blue aluminum baseball bat, they were repeatedly bringing it down upon the skull of the monster, blood spurting across their cheek and their eyes distant and cold.

"Racer?!" Lew gasped as he glanced up at the teen, "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"She just couldn't stay put," a flutter of wings and a voice came from behind him, "I tried, Lew." the ginger angel strolled up to him, his blue eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

"Did you _have_ to bring her along?" Lewis groaned, the ginger was now knelt besides him.

"I did good," the child beamed, "Right?"

"Of course you did, sweetheart." Dick smiled as he placed a hand on Lew's forehead, a soft blue light surrounded the injured man and healed all the wounds, the child wiping the blood off their cheek with their sleeve only to smudge it and make more of a mess. "C'mon Lew." he pulled the man off the ground. "Let's get home." and with that the three of them strolled out of the building and into the moonlight. A red toyota four runner sat outside for them.

"I'd say this is another win for Easy Company," the teen spun around and walked backwards with their arms tucked behind their head, "Right fellas?"

"Yeah, whatever," Lew rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Hey, we're still older than you so don't go treatin' us like you do with your teenager friends, Ray!"

"Let's stay up and marathon Disney movies!" Ray beamed, apparently she didn't pay attention to what Lew had said.

"Hey, are you even listening to me?!"

"Let's watch the 1992 Newsies first!"

"I don't think so young lady." Dick crossed his arms and stopped by the driver's seat of the car, "_You_ are going straight to bed when we get home, understand?"

"Awe," Ray groaned, "But- but I helped!"

"Yeah, and you have somewhere to be tomorrow." Lew chimed in as he slid into the passenger seat, "Also you gotta wash up before you sleep."

"No sitting on your phone, Rachel," Dick started the car, "After you clean up it's straight to bed with you. understand young lady?"

"Ugh, fine," Ray huffed in the backseat as crossed her arms, "You guys are no fun."

"That's 'cause we're adults, kid," Lew grinned at Dick before taking another swig of his whiskey, "That's 'cause we're adults..."


	2. Chapter 2- Love

Ray glanced at herself in the mirror, blood smudged and caked across her face, before she stripped down to her binder and boxer briefs. She took a deep breath and turned around so that her back was facing the mirror as she yanked off the binder to reveal two dark vertical scars on her back, she ran a hand across one of the scars and sighed as she could feel the wings spreading against her will, "Another day..." after all her clothes were off she hopped into the shower and turned on the hot water, she stood under the boiling water and closed her eyes as her skin burned at the touch. Blood and dirt streaming down her body as the steam engulfed her figure...

**The next day**

_Clank!_ The sound of the bat hitting the ball could be heard followed by cheering and yelling. Ray was running as quickly as they could, their metallic red helmet whisking off their golden head, "Run, Ray!" Lew jumped to his feet and shouted, "Almost there, kid!" the blonde ran past second base then third, lastly fourth. Her two parents- if she could even call them that- were smiling on the sidelines and cheering her on as she slid into the home run, dirt flying into her face. Ray's team, The Hershey Rockets (I know, childish name-), had won.

"Good job, kiddo!" Dick beamed as the two men watched the girl hop to her feet and dust herself off, "That's our girl!"

"Geez," A shorter brunette man groaned, "Would ya two stop being over excited parents? I mean, look at them- you're embarrassing the kid!"

"That's our job, George." Lew grinned.

"Joe would've been screaming bloody murder if he were here." George chuckled, "But hey, the kid _did_ do a good job."

"The _kid_ has a name," another man grumbled, "Or did your little pea brain forget?"

"Shut up, Bill!" George hissed. "They're still a kid!" the four men quickly turned their heads when they heard the child's voice.

"Heya fellas!" Ray beamed, their face covered in dirt and sweat, "Bill, didn't think you'd be here."

"Ah," Bill shrugged as he slid his hands into his pockets, a grin spreading across his face, "I was in town and I heard from these two that you had a game today, so I decided, why not go and cheer halfpint on?" Ray smiled back as George ruffled their hair.

"Ready to go?" Dick asked as he snatched his satchel.

"Yeah, um," Ray glanced back, "Just a sec." they scurried off leaving the adults confused and in need of answers.

"Where's she goin in a hurry?" Lew asked.

"I think I know." George pointed to a girl with long wavy black hair, the girl smiled when she saw Ray. "Sunshine's got a crush!"

"Wait, what?" Dick sounded shocked, "No, no she _cannot-"_

"Let the kid live, Dick." The ginger sighed and calmed down, he watched as his daughter- if he could even call her that- smiled at this girl. She was happy, truly and deeply happy.

"You did good today, Ray." the girl with black hair spoke softly.

"Thanks, Maggie," Ray chuckled as they scratched the back of their neck, "I would hug you right now but I'm all sweaty and covered in dirt and-" the girl, Maggie, groaned and rolled her eyes before pulling the blonde in for a kiss. Ray was taken by surprise but didn't hesitate to kiss back, from the distance George and Lewis began to cheer loudly and whistle; embarrassing poor Ray.

"Atta girl, Ray!" George teased, "A real lady killer!" after saying this the two girls quickly pulled away from each other, Ray hiding her red face in her helmet.

"Don't mind us!" Lew chimed in, "We're in no rush to get back."

"Shut up!" Ray hissed, "The both of you! Maggie, I am _so_ sorry about this I-"

"Ray," Maggie placed a hand on her cheek, "It's fine. Let them watch."

"I gotta... I gotta head back home, see you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow."

"Bye." Ray placed a small peck on Maggie's cheek before running back to their family, heart racing a thousand miles.

**Later that evening**

Ray clambered up to their room, which was basically the attic but redecorated, and plopped down on their bed with a sigh. "I am _so_ done." relief washed over them once they remembered that the weekend was the next day, there was no homework- besides the script that they had to memorize for the spring musical that the Drama Club created, Phantom of the Newsies. A crossover between Newsies and Phantom of the Opera- which they took pride in yet despised the name.

Ray had the main role, "Patch", a character that they created. Patch was a newsie who stumbles across this abandoned and eerie opera house, being a stupid kid Patch steals a mask they find in the theater and skitters off. Little did Patch know that taking the mask caused a vengeful spirit to awaken, the spirit makes a deal with Patch which the child accepts and becomes the vessel of this spirit, in return their soul is damned for eternity _unless _the mask is destroyed. Patch cannot go to Heaven nor Hell, they cannot get rid of the spirit if the mask is still in one piece, Patch cannot die when wearing the mask, if the mask is destroyed while worn the wearer dies with the spirit.

"Confusing story," Ray sighed, "But a good one." The blonde flipped through the script that she and Maggie wrote together, using pop-punk/punk-rock/rock/pop-punk songs for the play, she sighed yet again.


	3. chapter 3- To Kiss A Girl

Ray had their earbuds in as they flipped through the pages of the script, they were unaware of the small footsteps approaching them. The blonde was bobbing their head to the music when a pair of small hands tugged at their leg causing them to jump slightly, "Ray!" it was Albert, "Hi, Ray!"

"Hey there, bud." Ray smiled as she yanked out her earbuds, "What's up?" she lifted the small five year old boy onto her bed. He happily copied her sitting style and looked up at her with wonder.

"I'm bored."

"Me too, kiddo."

"Can you sing that song again? The one about kissing a girl?" Albert pleaded innocently, "Please? I liked it."

"I gotta practice on other scenes right now, Albie." Ray ruffled his hair, "I'm sorry."

"Pleeeaaaaasssseeee?"

"Oh alright." Ray smiled before clearing their throat...

(** _qpvnbw-blY)**

_Oh I'm no explorer,_

_My vision's not great,_

_I get tired when I run for too long._

_I still wake up groggy, and go to bed late_

_And I guess it's been true all along._

Albert listened happily and watched as a smile spread across his older sibling's face.

_That all the world's secrets, both this world and yours. _

Albert giggled when Ray poked his nose playfully.

_From the depths of the sea to the eagle who soars!_

_Beyond all the crap that us little guys face_ _each day..._

Ray hopped off the bed and started to twirl,

_Past monsters and prophecies,_

_shouldn'ts and shoulds,_

_past mayors and nights getting lost in the woods._

_I know it's not much,_

_I'm too young to unearth how it goes~_

Ray fell back upon the bed, causing the small boy to wobble slightly due to the impact their body had on the mattress.

_But whether the sun burns our skin,_

Ray gently pinched Albert's elbow, he squealed.

_Or a westward breeze blows~_

_Of all the world's secrets and mysteries,_

_From here to the tiniest star~_

They pointed to one of the glow in the dark star stickers on the ceiling.

_The greatest one, is the simplest one by far.._.

_T__o kiss a girl, and hold her hand__. No monster in the land can understand when you kiss a girl and just like that... The stars your staring at start to disband and they form a path..._

Albert looked to the horizon, pretending a path of stars was before the two of them.

_And if you follow them blindly that's where you'll find she's gone..._

Ray hopped off again and held their hand out to the boy, "C'mon." a smile on their face, Albert happily placed his small hand in their's and he was yanked off the bed and spun around.

_So kiss the girl and hold her hand,_

_And travel on!_

_Sometimes I think, when days grow lame and each night ends the same in this ghost town..._

Ray clenched their fists and spun on their heel to face the window.

_Men feel far too weak to make it through,_

_But boy there's work to do so hunker down!_

She sat the boy back down on the mattress and held her index finger before him.

_Then we'll form a pact, and with bravado and soul ease up on the holy snare._

_She's just a girl, and you've a hand to ta~ake her there!_

Ray pulled the little boy into their arms and ruffled his hair.

_Cowards by the dozens fly in spirals and they're fast._

_Running like they're cowards from the future towards the past..._

_Never have I ever seen such coward stand to last!_

_But who cares? Who really cares?_

_When you kiss a girl~ Aaahh~!_

Bill was walking up the stairs to Ray's room but stopped in the doorway when he heard her sing the song that she would always practice when they spoke over the phone- he had almost memorized it, he watched her dance and sing all the while she was unaware of his presence.

_Oh I'm no explorer,_

_My vision's not great,_

_I get tired when I run for too long._

Bill couldn't help but smile as he felt his heart skip a beat, ever since he was 14 he had feelings for the blonde.

_To kiss a girl and hold her hand..._

Bill began to join in, taking both blondes by surprise.

_No monster can understand_

_When you kiss a girl and just like that_

_The stars you're staring at start to disband._

Bill and Ray were now face to face, the height difference between them was noticeable, his blue eyes peering down at hers.

_And they form a path._

_And if you follow them blindly that's where you'll find she's gone..._

_So kiss the girl_

_And hold her hand_

_and travel on~~~!_

_Aahh~~~! _

Once the song ended, Bill and Ray were still staring into each other's eyes. Bill slowly inched closer subconsciously, his eyes focused on their lips, but once he realized what he was doing he cleared his throat suddenly.

"Good job, Sunshine." Bill scratched the back of his neck, "Sorry I won't be able to make it to your performance."

"It's fine," Ray peeped, "I can always have Dick or Lew record it for you."

"That'd be nice but it ain't the same as being there."

"Yeah..." Before anyone could say a word, the sound of a person clearing their throat loudly caused them to jump.

"Dinnertime," it was Lew, "Bill, you stayin for the night?"

"Yes, sir." Bill nodded curtly but politely, "If that isn't much trouble."

"No, no! No trouble at all, stay for as long as you need!"

"Thank you, sir."

"Ray," Lew turned his gaze to the teen, "Did you shower yet?"

"Shi-" before the girl could finish her sentence she remembered that Albert was present, "Shoot! I'll do that right now!" They began to rummage through their dresser and angrily shooing everyone out of the room. Bill took one last glance before he disappeared down the stairs, he wished he had the courage to tell her...


	4. Chapter 4- It's Been a While

Bill was helping Lew and Dick set up the table, memories of when he first met Rachel flooded his mind. She was only ten at the time while he was 12, he was human while she _was not_...

**About 7 years ago...**

_"Bill," Dick said as he lead a small girl into the room, "This is Rachel, she's... well, she's an angel like me- well, part angel."_

_"So?" Bill hissed, "Ya want me to socialize with a freak like that?"_

_"Bill," Dick replied sternly, "Rachel is not a monster, just a scared little kid."_

_"Yeah, whatever. But know this, I'll be the one putting a bullet through that pretty little head of hers." those words chilled Ray to the bone, her cold diamond eyes glanced up at Bill in fear. Bill could feel her gaze freezing his skin, he hated it, he hated **her**._

_"Bill!" Dick scolded, "Lew and I have been taking care of her for years now-"_

_"Five years now." Lewis interrupted, "Five years."_

_"And ya didn't even think to tell me about this monster you've been babysitting?!" Bill was even more upset, Ray shrunk behind Dick as the scrappy boy before them rose his voice. Ray tightly clung to Dick's sleeve._

_"Bill," Dick tried to calm him down, "Please don't raise your voice-"_

_"I can raise my voice whenever the fuck I want to!"_

_"No, Bill that-"_

_"WHAT?!"_

_"P-please stop yelling..." Ray peeped, no one could hear her..._

_"Bill, just calm down-"_

_"OH I'LL CALM DOWN WHEN THAT THING IS GONE-"_

_"Please stop shouting!" Ray stuttered out a bit louder, still no one heard but Lew._

_"Guys just-" Lew tried to intervene but no one listened, the yelling and anger became too much for Ray to handle. She quickly clasped her hands over her ears and cried._

_"I SAID STOP IT!" the girl roared, everything in the room shook, lights switched on and off along with other electrical appliances. "STOP IT. STOP IT. STOP IT. STOP IT."_

_Her wings began to spread, Lew's eyes widened and he darted for the girl and tackled tackled her. The two of them fell to the ground, Lew wrapped his arms tightly and securely around the small girl's body in hopes to calm her._

_"It's okay, sweetie," He whispered into her ear, "It's alright, I'm here and so is Dick. We didn't mean to yell, I'm sorry sweetie." he kissed and stroked her hair and sat up as she hyperventilated in his arms. Dick and Bill glanced down at the two of them, Dick angrily gazing to Bill._

_"She's not a monster." was all the ginger could muster, he brushed past Bill before heading to the garage, "I want you to stay at Randleman's tonight, or until you've calmed down." and with that he disappeared, leaving Bill feeling cold and full of spite._

"Bill!" Lew's voice brought the man back to the present, "Stop standing there and be helpful!" In Lew's arms was little Albert who was munching on a strawberry, the little boy's face smeared with red, he somewhat resembled Ray.

"S-sorry, sir." Bill looked down in embarrassment, "I was daydreaming."

"Well, quit daydreaming and move your ass!"

"LEW!" Dick called out angrily from the kitchen, Albert giggled in amusement.

"WHAT?!" Lew snapped back with irritation, "AM I NOT ALLOWED TO SAY 'ASS' IN FRONT OF A FIVE YEAR OLD?! IT'S NOT AS BAD AS F-"

"DON'T YOU DARE, LEWIS!"

"I DO DARE-"

"Papa and Dad are silly!" Albert beamed as he finished his strawberry. While a normal and casual domestic family life happened down in the kitchen and dining room, a hurricane of self loathing and despair swallowed Ray whole. The teen held their knees to their chest as the hot water fell upon their back, the scars from their wings had what seemed like bones protruding out from them. Blood mixed with the water and streamed down Ray's back, _it hurt_. Their head throbbed violently as tears ran down their face, _the screaming and crying was too much to handle._

"I want it to stop..." Ray whimpered, "Stop it..." the screaming grew louder, the next thing they knew they were in a dark cell. Angel warding lined the walls, a tall blonde boy lay on the ground across from them, _not this place again..._

A knock on the bathroom door brought Ray back to reality, they jolted with fear as they heard the noise, the screaming ceased.

"Hurry up in there," it was George, "Your parents say dinner's ready!"

"O-okay!" Ray choked out before pulling themselves up from the floor of the bathtub/shower, "Almost done!" they could hear George grumble from behind the door as he sauntered off, Ray sighed and made sure all the soap was rinsed from their hair and body before switching the water off.

Down in the kitchen, everyone was waiting on Ray, Albert was sat in between Dick and Lew while George and Bill sat across from the three- a spot empty for Ray. The soft shuffling of footsteps could be heard descending the stairs and Albert began to bounce in his seat and turned his head quickly in the direction they came from, "Ray!" he smiled.

"Hey buddy," Ray grinned back, their hair still wet, "We having mashed potatoes tonight?"

"Uh-huh Uh-huh!" Albert nodded happily.

"Thanks, Dick, thanks Lew." Ray kissed both of their parental figures' cheek before taking a seat between the two family friends who were over. For the first few minutes of dinner the adults chatted away about boring adult things like politics, taxes, places to visit, their adult lives, and planning the next get together with all of Easy. Albert was eating messily- of course, he was a five year old- while making faces at Ray who just kept a poker face, Lew had commented once that both her and Dick were masters of the poker face.

"Ray," Bill nudged the blonde, "Why don't you call Winters and Nixon your parents? I'm just wondering." Ray was silent as well as the other adults around the table, Lew cleared his throat and glanced at Dick who just looked at him with anxiety in his eyes.

"I..." Ray shrugged, "I don't know. I mean they treat me like their child and I treat them like parents but... I don't _think_ it would be _right_ for me to give them that _title_. You know, _pops and dad_?"

"Huh," Bill tilted his head curiously, "Even after _twelve _years, you _still don't know?"_

"I think that's enough on this topic," Dick butted in as he wiped Albert's face with a clean napkin, "Bill, you're staying the night right?"

"Yes, sir." Bill nodded swiftly.

"Then could you take Ray to theater practice tomorrow? If it's not too much trouble that is."

"Oh, no! I can do that, I just don't know how long I'll be crashing at your place that is..."

"Ray is the hero in the story!" Albert chimed in happily, "Right, Ray?"

"Yeah," Ray chortled softly, "But I wouldn't _technically_ call Patch a _perfect_ hero..."

"More of an anti hero," George commented, "A vigilante of some sorts. Ya know? Chaotic good?"

"Exactly!" Ray beamed.

Lew and Dick smiled at each other as they watched their now grown child light up with joy as they spoke about something they were passionate about, although they did not share words they knew exactly what was going through each other's thoughts. Oh how the years have passed, the two of them could remember the first hunting trip Rachel went on; she was so scared but she hid every ounce of fear she had. Dick wished that joyful moments like this- the dinner table where everyone was happy- could last forever...

The doorbell broke through the chatter and reminiscing, everyone shot their heads to the foyer as Lew got up from his seat. The chatter began again while the man was gone, Lew casually opened the door only to turn white as a ghost.

"Hey, Nix." The man outside the door said with a nervous smile, "It's been a while..."

"H-Hall," Lew cleared his throat, "It has been a while. What are you doing here?"

"I was in town and I wanted to see if you guys were still around. Sorry..."

"No, no, it's fine. It's just... Unexpected."

"Yeah..."

"Wanna come in?" Lew gestured inside, "I'm sure Dick would be glad to see you again."

"That would be nice, thank you." Hall smiled before entering the house.

"Remember, shoes off."

"Is Ray still around?" the man asked as he placed his shoes in a corner, at hearing their name Ray turned their head to see who it was only to feel their blood grow cold.

Dick's eyes widened as his gaze landed on the young man. "John?" Both him and Ray said in unison.

"It's been a while," John Hall smiled painfully, "Dad, Ray, Albert."

"No." Ray angrily pushed themselves out of their seat, "No, no, no. I'm done, I'm out." and with that they stormed off to their room without finishing dinner.


	5. chapter 5- stars

Everyone sat there silently, Ray's seat empty and their dinner unfinished, Bill whistled awkwardly as he glanced at John. Dick sighed and excused himself from the table, "I'll go talk to her," he walked past John with a polite smile, "Have a seat, eat dinner before it gets cold."

"Y-yes sir." John nodded before swiftly sitting next to George, "Hiya, Georgie."

"Long time no speak." Luz grinned, "Where ya been?"

"The better question is, _why are you here_?" Bill growled.

"Just thought I'd stop by," John shrugged as he got a plate, "I know you're not happy to see me but-"

"No," Bill interrupted, "I'm not."

"Look, I just want to apologize and-"

"Well, you're barkin up to wrong tree." John sighed and glanced at Lew who just shrugged, Albert had his head tilted in curiosity.

"Papa," the little boy asked, "Who is he again?"

Meanwhile, Dick was trying to get Ray out of their locked room- he was an angel, he could easily open it without any trouble- but the door was marked with two warding sigils; angel proofing and angel blocking. _Great_. Plus the child was blaring Green Day's _Basket Case _on the speakers

"Rachel?!" Dick called as he knocked on the door, as if it would do anything, "Rachel, open up!"

_SOMETIMES I GIVE MYSELF THE CREEPS..._

_SOMETIMES MY MIND PLAYS TRICKS ON ME... _

"Rachel Adelaide Pearl, open the door this instant!"

_...AM I JUST PARANOID, OR AM I STONED?!_

The music grew louder and the ginger groaned before pulling out his phone from his pocket.

**In Ray's room**

Ray lay face down on her pillow as the music washed over her body, she was waiting for a text from _her_.

_m__ags, he's back. (Sent at 6:43 PM, read!)_

_(Mags is typing...)_

_Mags: What's up? (Sent at 6:45 PM)_

Ray's fingers flew across the screen of their phone as they typed violently, "John's back, he even after what he did! Lew let him in!" their thumb angrily tapped _send _and in an instant another ding came from their phone, a new message.

_Ginger Snapped: Your music is too loud, I can hear it from downstairs. Also, please get rid of this angel warding, I need to speak with you. You are being rude and immature, Rachel. (Sent at 6:46 PM)_

"Ugh!" Ray groaned before shoving their phone in their pocket and turning off their music, "Fine, _old man_." they flung open the door to see Dick's unamused face, took off the warding sigil signs and tossed them away.

"_What?_" they grumbled.

"What's with the attitude?" Dick tilted his head, "It's not like you."

"Yeah, well, what's _he _doing here?!"

"Rachel, he is your brother-"

"Not to me he's not. Now goodbye." they began to slam the door shut but Dick grabbed it just in time. "What now?"

"I want you to change this attitude, young lady," he scolded, "And I want you to go back down there, apologize and sit with your family, and finish your dinner."

"Ugh," Ray rolled their eyes, "_Fine._" with that they brushed passed the ginger and hopped down the stairs without glancing back. Dick grinned, pleased with himself and the fact that his daughter was actually _listening _this time- without Lew's help that is.

"Ray?" he chirped from behind.

"Yeah?"

"I love you, kiddo." he smiled.

"Yeah, whatever." Ray mumbled back, "Love ya too."

"What was that? I couldn't quite hear because my ears are still adjusting to regular volume after you blared your music."

"Shut up you dummy!"

The two of them returned to the table; Dick calmly sat himself back into his seat but Ray on the other hand violently tossed themselves back into the chair, Albert giggled while watching this. Ray gave off a look of annoyance before she went back to stabbing the contents of her plate as an awkward silence draped over the whole table.

The silence became too much for Lew so he cleared his throat and started to speak, "So uh, Ray," he nodded in their direction, "When did you say your play was again?"

Ray's fork hit the plate with a loud _clank_, they glanced up to Lew with a death glare which had no effect on him.

"May 25th." the blonde muttered.

"Ah," Lew nodded, "Say, John, how long are you in town for?" Ray's eyes widened angrily as they shot him murderous look.

"Until the end of the month." John replied, "Ray, I didn't know you were into theater."

"Huh, what else don't you know about me?" Ray said sarcastically.

"Rachel." Dick glared, "What did I say?"

"Sorry," Ray rolled her eyes, "It's not my fault he doesn't even care enough to make an effort to get to actually know me."

"Rachel!"

"It's alright, dad." John sighed before glancing over at his younger sibling, "Look, I'm sorry. Alright?"

"Yeah," Ray gulped down their water, "Then why'd you leave for four years?"

"Rachel that is enough!" Dick roared and suddenly the whole table grew quiet. "Apologize right now!"

"I'm sorry, John." Ray mumbled.

"Why can't we be a family again? _Just this once_?"

**Later that evening**

Ray sat curled up under the blankets, a string of star shaped fairy lights dangled above their bed and gently spun around. The glow in the dark star stickers stayed dormant on the ceiling, they were pretty to look at- all the stars in their room were- but they weren't as amusing to the teen as the dangling lights; Ray gently swatted at the lights, like a cat playing with yarn, they glanced down at the bracelet on their left wrist. The pendant had an angel depowering sigil carved into it, she remembered when Dick first gave it to her...

_Rachel was curled up in a corner in the attic, she didn't mean to hurt him it was just- he was just so loud and angry and she was scared. The way he glared at her like she was a monster, he was right, she is a monster._

_"Rachel?" Lew's voice cralwed up the stairs, "You up here, kiddo?"_

_"Go away!" She cried, "I don't want to hurt you too."_

_"What are you doing up here in the dark?" he took a step closer to her, "Your dad and I-"_

_"You are **not **my parents." Ray snapped._

_"...Dick and I have been looking for you."_

_"That man was right," the girl sniffled, "I am a monster." Lew sighed and plopped himself next to her before taking out a cigarette and lighting it. Rachel looked at him in confusion amd concern, why the hell was he sitting next to her without a care in the world?!_

_"Bill's an idiot." Lew simply said, "You're not a monster, I know it- Dick knows it."_

_"But I hurt him-"_

_"You didn't mean to," Lew ruffled her hair, "You were scared, plus that prick just doesn't know when to shut up!" he chuckled. Rachel was shocked to hear such things, she was used to less mild and crude language- mostly because Dick never used it around her- and she couldn't help but laugh._

_"What's so funny?" Lew grinned._

_"I'm sorry," she wiped a tear from her eye, "I'm just not used to hearing such crude language."_

_"Ah. That ginger eskimo has been raising you to be a saint." he snuffed out his cigarette, "Oh, I actually have something for you- well, **we **have something for you.- it was Dick's idea, but he couldn't deliver it to you cuz... Well, ya know." he handed the girl an object wrapped up in a handkerchief, she stared at it with curiosity._

_"What is it?" she held the package in her hand._

_"Open it and see." Rachel did as told and found a leather bracelet, she was confused as to why these men gave her this, "It's a bracelet with an Angel Depowering sigil, to keep your powers dormant when you wear it."_

_"...Thanks...?"_

_"Here," he gently slid the trinket on her arm, "When it's worn you won't be able to use your powers, when you need to use them you take it off."_

_"Is it because you two are scared of me?"_

_"No, it's so you don't hurt yourself. So you can live a normal life and be happy like a child should be." Lew grinned. "That's what every good parent wants for their kid."_

_"I'm not your kid."_

_"I know, but- just accept it already! Jesus."_

_"Thank you, Lewis." Rachel hugged him, "It means a lot."_

Ray ran their thumb across the sigil as the memory replayed in their head like it happened yesterday, little opaque stones of different color were littered across the leather; it was beautiful.

"Rachel?" Lew's footsteps could be heard climbing the stairs, "You awake?" Ray quickly tossed their phone under the pillow and then threw the blankets over their body in attempts to be "asleep". Lew's eyes landed on the bed and he instantly knew that it was a trick.

"Don't even try faking it," he sighed, "I know you're awake, I heard you frantically shifting things around after I called your name."

"Dammit, Lew," Ray crawled out of the covers, "I was going to sleep, I promise-"

"I'm not up here to lecture you about not sleeping, kid." he sat on the foot of their bed, "Just wanted to talk to you."

"Is this about John?"

"Yeah, look I know you don't want anything to do with him but at least give the man a chance! He's _trying _his best to fix things with us."

"I know..." Ray bit their lip, "It's just... I don't know what's wrong with me. I forgive him- I really do- it's just that I'm still mad at him..."

"Then just tell him." Lew shrugged, "It wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Lew, you don't _get it_." Ray groaned, "That's not how female emotions operate!"

"Well," he raised his hands in defense, "How am I supposed to know? I'm male! That and the ginger I'm married to shows little to no emotions!"

"Just go." she shoved him off.

"Will you at least think about it?"

"Yeah..."

"Good." he smiled, "Night kid, I love you."

"Love you too, Lew." with that the man flicked off the lights witch and hopped down the stairs, leaving his daughter in the dark to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6- Dysfunctional

Dick was putting Albert to bed, he had just finished reading a story to the little boy and was about to hit the light switch before heading out the door when Albert stopped him, "Daddy?" Dick swiftly turned on his heel and stood at attention.

"Yes, dear?"

"Why are we-" the boy struggled with the words, "Why are we... D- dif-"

"Take your time kiddo," Dick chuckled, "Lemme guess. Why are we different?"

"No."

"Distant?"

"Nope."

"Directed-"

"Dysfunctional." The ginger fell silent and furrowed his brows tilted his head, "Daddy, why are we a dysfunctional family?" Dick blinked before sitting on the foot of Albert's bed, he was shocked someone of five years of age would ask such a thing- then again, Dick wasn't even human so how would he even know what knowledge a five year old brain was capable of holding?- it was even more shocking that Albert said it with such a calm tone.

"Excuse me?" Dick squinted, "_Dysfunctional? _Where did you hear that?"

"Ray taught me it. They said it means 'crappy' or 'broken' or _whack_."

"Ah." Dick clicked his tongue with a nod, _of course he had heard this from Ray. _But what ever gave the boy the idea that the Winters-Nixon family was dysfunctional? Was it the fact that Lewis and Dick were openly gay? No, that can't be it. The fact that Dick wasn't human? That him and Lew would come home covered in vampire blood? That sometimes they'd leave for weeks or they'd drop off Ray and Albert at a family friend's? None of these could have been the reason as to _why _such a pure child would ask.

"Albie," Dick sighed as he brushed a strand of hair from the boy's face, "Our family is not dysfunctional in _any _way. What ever gave you that idea?"

"Ray did." Albert said cheerfully, _figures._

"_Ray did...? Right...__ Okay..._ Your sister, Ray, has- well... A _short_ fuse."

"Ray says that they don't like it when you say that they're my sister, that you're their parent, Ray says that they don't _fit _in our family." Dick's heart dropped. He knew Rachel was an edgy and emotional teenager- a nephilim teenager- but he never thought of Ray as just another kid, but as family. Unfortunately, Ray was stubborn enough to _not _call them family. _Was that why she called them dysfunctional?_ The Winters-Nixon family hardly argued, there had been no legal disputes- they were a happy apple pie and picket fence family- no divorces, no abuse, no neglect... They weren't dysfunctional at all...

"Good night, dad." Albert's yawn dragged Dick back into the present, the ginger glanced down at the sleepy little boy and smiled.

"Night kiddo." he gently kissed his forehead, "Sleep tight."

"I won't let the bed bugs bite..." Dick smiled and flicked off the light as he left. The man groaned as he ran a hand over his face, being a parent was harder than it looked, now he knew why parents are so tired. "Hey, Lew." he smiled as his husband descended the stairs.

"Hey hun." the man smiled, "Is Goldilocks alseep?" Lew warmly kissed the ginger as he wrapped his arm around his waist and guided him to the couch.

"The little guy's out like a light," Dick giggled as he leaned his head against Lew's shoulder, "Although I think, Ray is turning him into a pessimist."

"She's 17," Lew rolled his eyes as the two of them sat down, "17 year olds are like that. Plus, Albert looks up to her and he hangs around her because he wants to be like her."

"She better not be teaching him crude language." Lew laughed and leaned back in the couch, Dick smiled, they weren't dysfunctional. They were just... _odd._

**The next morning**

_Beep! Beep! Beep! _The alarm went off and Ray sluggishly rolled out of bed, took a thick school binder and smacked the snooze button on the clock with it, they stepped in front of the mirror to see that their hair was a disheveled mess and their eyes had dark circles surrounding them. "What scenes are we doing again today...?" they yawned as they made a beckoning gesture to the script on their nightstand, the documents flew into her hand and she began to read the calendar attached to it.

Looks like they're doing act 2, scenes 1-4 today, the part where Patch is telling the ghost about the girl they like. "Ugh," Ray groaned as they tossed the script behind them, "I'm gonna need my tie for this... Gel my hair back, and a binder. God, dancing around in that thing's gonna give me a heat stroke- wait, I'm a nephilim, I'll be fine!"

"Rachel!" Bill called from downstairs, "Quit talkin to yourself and hurry the hell up!"

"I'm coming!" Ray snapped back, "Geez, hold on..." they glanced one last time at their reflection in the mirror, displeased with the way their golden hair went in all directions, running fingers through her hair while shaking her head to make herself presentable. _Good morning, Sunshine. _She shrugged and shuffled down the stairs and to the bathroom to get ready.

Down in the kitchen John was making the girl's lunch, a peanutbutter and grape jelly sandwich, while Bill was chugging down unholy amounts of coffee with his phone in his hand. In less than five minutes the sounds of feet stomping down the stairs, "What took ya so long?" Bill grumbled as he slid a box of Froot Loop cereal her way, "We was bout to leave without you!" he laughed, Ray groaned and flipped him off as they took a seat.

"Good morning, Ray." John smiled, "How'd you sleep?" Ray glared at him before answering.

"On me back, John." They finished pouring cereal in their bowl and shoved a spoonful in their mouth.

"That's not what I meant-"

"The damn kid's quotin the 92sies," Bill placed his plates in the sink, "Just ignore it."

"_92sies...?_"

"Newsies!!!!" Ray hissed, her blue eyes sparked like a flashlight, concerning her brother, "God, John, you got a lot to learn dude!" the nephilim chuckled. John's gaze was still locked on Ray, the nephilim's eyes still glowing- like Dick's eyes would when he'd spread his wings- and it scared him. Bill didn't even seem to be phased by this, _was Ray going to attack? _

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ray furrowed their brows, her face dropped and the glow in their eyes dimmed down to the natural glow that eyes should be, like a lost puppy.

"U-uh nothing," John blinked and shook his head, "Just nothing, here's your lunch for the day." he placed a bag of food next to her.

"It was my eyes, wasn't it?" Ray blurted, John froze. Bill could sense the tension growing in the air, "You're scared of me, aren't you?"

"No, no it wasn't."

"You're lying!" she stood up and once again her eyes flared up.

"Ray, just stop this."

"Not until you tell me the truth."

"Fine," John snarled, "I was scared."

"Why?" John brushed past her without a word which lead to Ray following him, "Is it because it's a reminder of me not being human?"

"Rachel," the man spoke softly, "Just finish your breakfast." He turned to face her only to see that she had carried her bowl of cereal with her. _Well then. _

"Just tell her, cowboy." Bill groaned as he twirled the car keys around, "Make things easier for yourself."

"Yes," John finally admitted with a sigh, "Because you're not human, because I _saw _what happened. What _you did_." silence soon followed. Ray blinked, her eyes were back to normal- they were clouded with pain- in an act of impulsivity Ray quickly dumped the rest of their cereal in their mouth and grabbed their lunch bag along with their satchel, yanked open the door and glanced at Bill before disappearing.

"That," Bill pressed the button to unlock the car, "Is our cue. Let's go."


	7. Chapter 7- Hunt

The car ride to the school was silent, Bill was driving and John sat in the passenger seat, Ray in the very back of Bill's truck. Music buzzed in the child's earbuds as they bounced their foot in anxiety, as always, they didn't take their pills this morning. _Revolution Radio_ came on and Ray bobbed their head slightly to the beat of the drums, behind all the angelic grace and powers Ray was just another teenager. A scared, bored and kind teenager.

"We're here, kiddo." Bill stopped the car, "Let's go!"

"Wait," Ray furrowed her brows, "You two are coming with?"

"Hell yeah we are." Bill scoffed, "Come on!" once the three friends were out of the car they all shuffled towards the entrance of the school. Once inside they were met with an army of voices; some singing, others going over lines, while others were spouting directions. _If that's what ya have in mind, if that's what you're all about, good luck movin up cuz I'm movin out!_ The music blared, it was like a hang out for outcasted teens.

On the stage was a beautiful young lady, her dark skin looked angelic under the spotlights and her braided hair was _perfect_. Ray's heart stopped as their eyes landed on her, _Maggie Rosenbaum_, Ray's girlfriend. She was Jewish-Hispanic, captain of the cheer team, excellent soccer player, dancer and one hell of a friend. Ray made their way through the sea of teens, their eyes landed on a group of good friends: Alex Penkala, Donald Malarkey, and Warren "Skip" Muck- Skip wasn't human at all. The boy was the Archangel Gabriel, which is another story- Ray smiled and said her greetings before she reached the stage.

"Hey, babe," Maggie smiled and extended her hand to pull the blonde up, "Ready for warm up?"

"Hell yeah!" Ray kissed the taller girl's cheek, "Lemme go put my things down first."

Once everyone was ready, they all began to get in their places and the lights dimmed and the music started, Bill and John stayed in the shadows in the back of the auditorium and watched as teens dressed as 1890 Manhattan newsboys shuffled about and jumped to Neon Trees' _Everybody Talks._ Soon, Ray hopped onto front and center stage. The blonde tap danced happily, their maroon suspenders threatening to slide down their shoulders as they jumped here and there.

Bill was smiling as he watched her jump up and down while she sang, he was too caught up in her eyes that he forgot about the case he had.

_It started with a whisper~~~~_

_And that was when I kissed her~~~_

_Then she made my lips hurt~~~~_

_I'll give you the chitchat~~~_

"Oh shit!" Bill hissed, "I almost forgot, John, let's go. We got ourselves a case!" he smacked John's shoulder playfully before running out of the building, John took one last glance at his sister before he did the same.

Once they were in the car, Bill pulled out a piece of paper with an address scribbled on it. Bill began to explain what they were going after, a vampire nest, and that he needed back up. This wasn't like Bill, asking for back up, but John didn't say anything.

"You got a lead?" John asked as the two of them drove past the scenery of Pennsylvania.

"Yeah," Bill replied as he turned left, "Near Coffeetown, Pennsylvania."

\--

Back at the Winters-Nixon house, Albert slowly and stealthily snuck into his parents' room while they were still asleep. The young blonde boy giggled softly to himself before he struggled to climb onto the soft bed, the fluffy pearl white blankets swallowing him whole, a soft surprised squeal accidentally escaped his lips and Dick instantly shot up into sitting position.

"Who's there?!" the ginger growled, when he looked down he saw the familiar tuft of golden hair and a pair of small flailing arms, "Albert? What are you doing son?"

"Good morning, daddy!" the little boy shot up instantly, a bright smile on his face, "Did you and papa sleep well?" Dick sighed happily and took his son into his arms before poking his nose, Albert let out a small 'boop!' and Dick kissed his forehead.

"I slept alright," the ginger responded softly before glancing down at his husband who was still fast asleep, "Papa is a big sleepy head on the weekends." Albert huffed angrily and then began to smack Lew on the shoulder in hopes to wake him up.

"Wake up," he chanted, "Wake up. Papa, wake up!" he giggled.

"I don't think that will work, love." Dick chuckled, "Let's let papa sleep-"

"Wake up!"

Suddenly Lew swiped the boy from his husband's arms, causing the child to squeal, and began tickling him aggressively. "I got you now, Albie! Arrggg!" Dick laughed and watched as his two loved ones messed around, he hopped out of bed and shuffled to the bathroom to wash up and get ready for the day. Lew had placed Albert in his lap and began interrogating the boy on whether he brushed his teeth or not- which he did.

"Come on, Lew," Dick said as he brushed his teeth- not that angels needed to brush their teeth, "We got a case." Lew tossed his legs off the side of the bed, his hair was a mess, he stretched and got to his feet with a yawn. Lew sauntered up behind Dick and wrapped his arms around his waist, resting his head on his shoulder as he warmly kissed his neck.

"Where to?" Lew mumbled groggily, trying his best to wake up.

"Lancaster."

"Can I come too?" Albert jumped excitedly, "Please?"

"No." Both men scolded.

"_You_, young man, are staying uncle Bull and Johnny while we work." Lew pointed to the pouting boy.

"Aw, you two are no fun." Albert moped.

"When you're older you may." Dick reassured after he rinsed his mouth, "Now go brush your teeth, I inowknow you lied to papa." The boy let out a groan before skittering off to clean up, Lew laughed and nuzzled his husband before reaching for his own toothbrush.

\--

Bill and John reached an abandoned warehouse, the vampire nest, Bill parked his truck behind a tree line so that they could be out of sight and sneak in easily. The two men hopped out and shuffled towards the trunk, Bill unlocked and opened it to reveal an arsenal of hunting tools; rock salt, silver bullets, sliver knives, guns, holy water, dead man's blood- for vampires of course- hammers, extra salt rounds, some spray paint, some matches and lighters, and holy oil- for angels.

Bill picked up a silver blade and twirled it around, he gave John a cocky smirk before allowing him to choose his weapon of choice. "Just like good old days," Bill mused, "Huh, John?"

"At least _someone's _not mad at me." John chuckled before picking up a gun filled with silver bullets and taking a silver blade, "I'm sorry-"

"Told ya," Bill interrupted, "I'm not the one who hates you. It's Sunshine."

"I know but-"

"Can we just go kill some vamps already, dude?"


	8. Chapter 8- Attack

Dick was shuffling around the kitchen making pancakes while everyone else in the house began slowly waking up, Albert was happily running around the house looking for the family pets- yes the Winters-Nixon family _had _pets, they just wandered around the big house- the boy had his heart set on finding the big black and white saint bernard, JJ. The boy scuttled out to the backyard where he found the four legged friend, "JJ!" he squealed before running up to the dog and hugging him. JJ, the dog, barked happily before licking the boy's cheek and causing him to laugh.

"That tickles!" Albert patted the dog's head, "Come on, let's go inside!"

\--

Bill and John stood outside the warehouse where the vamp nest was hiding in, John glanced over at Bill who gave him a swift nod before John kicked open the door to see a group of vampires feeding on a young male college student. "Jesus," John muttered under his breath before a vamp charged at him, "SHIT!" he jumped out of the way and began to fire a round of silver bullets as Bill rushed towards the boy all while shooting and dodging oncoming vamps. John pulled out his silver blade and decapitated one of the monsters, killing it, blood splattering across his face. The other vampires charging at him froze and stared.

"Anyone else?" he muttered emotionlessly.

\--

Theater practice was almost over, sets were being moved and scene changes were taking place, Ray was chatting with the "Mortar Squad" (Donnie, Skip and Alex) while Maggie was on the other side of the stage. It happened so quickly no one could react, "Look out!" someone shouted, Maggie looked up to see the light fixture falling down on her. There was no time for her to move out of the way, she closed her eyes shut and waited for the worst, _clank!_ Nothing happened. At least, nothing happened to _her. _

When she opened her eyes she noticed she was lying on the cold floor with Ray on top of her, Ray had shielded her from getting hit. "Rachel...?" Maggie muttered a bit stunned, "Rachel! Oh my god, you're bleeding!" blood dripped down the blonde's temple and down their face, Ray shifted slowly and the light fixture slid off their back and fell to the ground.

"I'll be fine..." Ray mumbled as they slowly got back onto their feet, "You okay?" Maggie nodded, still in shock, Ray calmly and coldly brushed their bangs out of their face- blood smearing on their face.

"Come on," Maggie grabbed Ray's other hand, "Let's get you to a nurse-"

"I'm **_fine._**" Ray wasn't herself, it scared Maggie. "Let's get this light fixture back up, yeah?"

\--

After Bill had got rid of his obstacles, he checked the pulse. There was a pulse but it was faint, _shit, _he slung the boy's arm over his shoulder and began to drag him to the door, "Hall!" Bill roared, "Help me out, will ya?" John rushed to the man's side and helped him carry the injured boy out and into the truck, their destination the nearest hospital.

"Watch his head," Bill peeped as John slid the boy into the back seat, "Okay, let's hurry." He hopped into the driver's seat and off they went. John sat in the back, trying his best to keep the boy alive while his friend drove.

"Bill," John called out nervously, "He's loosing too much blood!"

"Just keep pressure on it, goddammit!" The nearest hospital was 15 minutes away, did they have enough time? Bill bit his lip apprehensively before stepping on the gas.

\--

Theater practice was over for the day, Ray was shuffling about backstage waiting for their ride. The blonde's face was still smeared with fresh blood as they waited for their ride, their lips formed a calm straight line void of emotion, "Babe!" Maggie called out, "Is everything alright? You haven't said a word ever since you got hit."

When hearing this, Ray cocked a cold smile that sent chills down Maggie's spine, "I'm fine," they said calmly, "Everything's fine, love." Maggie could only nod and stare blankly as she searched for any sign of emotion in those diamond blue eyes. It was sometime around 12:45 PM, Ray was still waiting for their ride with Maggie by their side, the two lovers shuffled outside to the curb where Ray held their knees to their chest and stared up into the sky.

"You have a ride home?" Maggie poked as she rummaged through her bag for a pack of tissues. "If not, I can drive you home-"

"Thanks for the offer, Mags." Ray cut her off, "You don't have to."

"I can drive, ya know." Maggie scoffed.

"My cousin and his boyfriend are picking me up," the blonde replied crestfallen, "I promised to spend time with them today." Before Maggie could reply, a black Chevy Tahoe pulled up and Ray placed a gentle kiss on Maggie's cheek.

"There's my ride. See ya soon?" Ray smiled awkwardly.

"Yeah," Maggie smiled, "Love you."

"Love you more." Ray turned and headed to the car but Maggie stopped her and tossed a pack of tissues into her hands. "Thanks." And with that, Maggie left with a smile.

As Ray reached for the passenger side door handle, the window rolled down and Ray was met with a lanky brunette man in sunglasses. "Get in, loser, we're goin shopping."

"Hey, Joey." Ray smiled as they slid into the back seat, "Lew and Dick out?"

"Your dads went hunting," the driver, Joey's boyfriend, David Webster replied, "Seat belt on."

"They're not my parents," Ray grumbled as they buckled themselves up, "Just parental figures."

\--

Bill and John burst into the hospital, dragging the college boy with them, "Help!" John shouted, "He's hurt."

"He's bleedin out here!" Bill hissed. The people sitting in the waiting room all glanced around awkwardly until a group of nurses came rushing out with a stretcher to take the boy away, leaving John and Bill standing in the waiting room covered in blood.

Once the two were sure that the boy was in safe hands they rushed out the door and back into Bill's truck. Soon before they knew it, they were already on the road back home. John glanced at Bill before turning his gaze to the window, he wondered how Ray was doing...


	9. Chapter 9- To Call Upon the Demons

"Try this one on, kid." Joey handed Ray a set of black jeans and a men's red v-neck as well as a black leather biker jacket, Joey loved to spoil her but David always scolded him for doing so. Ray hesitated but Joey excitedly shoved them back into the changing room, Ray sighed and slid back behind the curtains to change while Joey patiently waited. As Ray slowly slid their shirt off they could hear the grumbles and angry mumbles from Joey and David- the two were arguing again, it happened too often and Ray just ignored it- Ray sighed and clenched their jaw before putting their regular shirt on and slipping into the jeans Joey gave them.

"-Look, Web," Joey growled, "We **_cannot _**tell the kid's parents that-" at that moment Ray emerged from the curtains of their changing room stall and the two adults instantly shut up.

"Look at you!" David beamed, "Do the jeans fit alright?" Ray nodded in response before glancing at their reflection.

"You want 'em?" Joey butted in, "Web and I will buy them for you-"

"You can stop that, you know." Ray grumbled frustrated, "I'm old enough to pay for my own things now, Joey. I don't want- _need-_ you guys to constantly spoil me." Liebgott's face quickly fell before he turned to his boyfriend who just gave him a smirk that plainly meant _I told you so._ Joe sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair, he knew that Ray was almost an adult but every time he looked at them he couldn't help but see that little child with the bright diamond blue eyes.

**Somewhere at a crossroad, 5 years ago...**

_Ray stood in the middle of the dirt crossroad, small cardboard box in hand, she was only 12. Lew and Dick had been out on a hunt for about a month now and she was staying with Bull and Johnny- as well as their adopted angel, Edward. But Edward preferred to be called 'Babe'.- for the time being, but all she wanted was to be with her two father like figures again. She wanted someone to talk to. Ray knelt down and buried the box in the small hole she dug and waited, "What's a kid doing out in the middle of nowhere at night?" a voice came from behind her, causing her to quickly spin on her heels and her eyes met with his. "You," the man squinted, "You're no kid at all! The hell?__"_

_"I am a child," Ray huffed__ angrily, "I'm 12 years old! That's technically a child!"_

_"No-" the man facepalmed, "That's not what I mean- you're **not** human!"_

_"I am human!" Ray stuttered, trying her best to not sound scared. The man just nodded his head skeptically before glancing around, looking for any adults accompanying this 'human child' but to his dismay there were no adults in sight. **Great, just my luck. **He thought to himself with a sigh, now, he was obligated to leave at **any** time but was it morally right to just leave a child all alone in the middle of a crossroad at night?- this man was obviously a demon so why should he care?- No it was not morally right._

_"Look," he pinched the bridge of his nose, "Do you even **know** what I am?" he crossed his arms, waiting for the girl's response. Ray only blinked and nodded, the man doubt she even knew._

_"Alright," he knelt down to her eye level, "What am I then, sweetheart?"_

_"A crossroads demon," Ray beamed, "Just a crossroads demon!"_

_"Alright, since you guessed correctly..." the man smirked, "You best tell me **what **you are, because I can tell that you certainly are **not** human." Ray scowled in annoyance before kicking the man in the shin, he yelped in pain and cursed under his breath. This child had problems! As he was about to retaliate he noticed the pain in the girl's eyes, he then remembered what his job was: to make deals with people, not to argue with them. He sighed again and cleared his throat, sticking a hand out to the girl._

_"The name's Liebgott," he grumbled, "Joseph Liebgott, and yes I am a crossroads demon." Ray just glanced at his hand with curiosity, Joseph groaned and gestured for her to shake his hand- it was an introduction._

_"Ray." the blonde child muttered. "Just Ray." Joe raised an eyebrow before he proceeded to ask why she had summoned him but before he could get an answer she decided to go off topic. _

_"Mr. Crossroads Demon," she interrupted him, "May I call you 'Joey'? Because I have an uncle named Joseph as well and I don't want to get you two mixed up-"_

**_"Hell no!" _**_Joseph hissed, "Don't get off topic here, kid! Why did you summon me?__" Ray frowned and fumbled with her thumbs, Joseph was getting irritated by now and he did not have time to deal with a child. As Joseph was about to leave Ray stopped him._

_"What's it like," Ray mumbled flatly, "being a demon?" Joseph stared at her in confusion, what was this kid going on about?_

_"What?" He muttered._

_"Is it lonely?" Ray tilted her head curiously, "That's why I summoned you."_

_"To ask me childish questions?!" Joseph hissed, "I don't have time for this-" Ray tugged at his sleeve, her blue eyes piercing into him. From that point on, no deal was made but a friendship..._

"Lieb?" Webster's voice yanked the man from his thoughts, "Lieb are you even listening?" Joey blinked and readjusted his focus back to reality only to see his boyfriend's annoyed scowl.

"Wha...?" was Joey's response, from the far left corner he could hear Ray sigh, "You wanna fight, kiddo?" he hissed.

"No," Ray grumbled, "I just wanna go do my homework and get this day over with."

Now the three were paying for their things and getting ready to leave, something struck Joey and brought back another thought. Ray was the reason he and David were together...


End file.
